Isaac ist



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC N. ADRIAN, OF CARPENTERSVILLE, ILLINOIS.

FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,296, dated March 10, 1896.

A nman filed October 8, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC N. ADRIAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carpentersville, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Files, of which the following is a-specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in files or holders for letters, bills, legal papers, &c., of that class which consist of a series of compartments or pockets formed by a number of superposed division sheets or webs united or connected together at one or more edges and provided at one edge with thumbpieces, by which said edge can be raised to expose the papers below said sheet or web.

In such files as heretofore constructed the thumb-pieces have been connected to their respective division sheets or webs so as to lie in the same planes and havehad placed thereon the reference letter, word, or similar mark used to designate the style of document to be found in the pocket covered by that sheet. Such a construction, however, is objectionable and unsuited for many purposes. Especially is this true when it is desired to keep the file or holder in a drawer of a case, for in such instance if the file is of substantially the same size as the drawer, which of course is desirable, the thumb -pieces are brought close against the inner face of the front wall of the drawer, and as they lie in a horizontal plane cannot be readily grasped when it is desired to have access to some particular compartment in the holder. Again, the files or holders of this class with which I am familiar have had the index characters or words arranged on the thumb-pieces, which is objectionable not only because of the minimum amount of surface provided for this purpose, but also because the use of the file is practically limited to that class of documents for which it is first prepared-that is, a file originally intended to hold letters-in which case the thumb-pieces would have imprinted thereon the letters of the alphabet and would not be adapted for holding legal blanks-that is, the index would be ill adapted for such use.

My invention therefore has for its object to provide such a file or holder with thumb- Serial No. 565,011. (No model.)

pieces possessing practical advantages over those heretofore in use.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a file or holder embodying my improvements, showing the same in a drawer and the index sheet or plate being removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line m 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the thumb-pieces detached. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a top plan View of the file removed from the drawer and showing the index sheet or plate in position thereon.

In the drawings, wherein like letters of reference designate corresponding parts, the file is shown as consisting of an exterior case consisting of a top A and bottom A and a connecting-web a, which is interiorly divided into a series of pockets or compartments by a series of sheets or webs B.

The sides of the case and division-sheets B may be made of any suitable material, form, and size, and the said sheets and case are connected at their rear end or sides, or both, as desired, by any suitable means.

Each division-sheet and the upper side or top A of the case is provided with a thumbpiece O, which is arranged to project beyond the front edge or wall of the file, and is made of such form as to be readily grasped without changing the position of the file to raise the forward edge of such sheet and expose the papers or documents in the pocket covered thereby.

As shown each of the thumb-pieces O is stamped from a single blank, and bent at an intermediate point of its length to provide two members 0 c, which extend at right angles to each other. The member 0 of each thumb-piece is provided with a series of integral spurs c c punched out of the body of the blank, and designed to be pushed through the sheet or web B to which the piece 0 is to be attached and bent down against the opposite face thereof, thus securing the sheet and thumb-piece together. The spurs o c are formed at the inner end of the member 0, while that at 0* is stamped from the central portion of such member adjacent to the point of union thereof with the other member 0. The outer upper end of the member a is bent upon itself, as at 0 to give additional strength and body to this part of the thumb-piece, and

the corners a are inclined, so that the spaces between the series of thumb-pieces increase in width at these outer upper ends.

The index for my improved file is preferably arranged upon a separate sheet or plate 1), adapted to be detachably held in place against the outer face of the top of the filecase. As shown in Fig. 1 Iprefer to provide such top of the case with holders or sockets E at three of its corners, into which the corresponding corners of the index-sheet can be placed.

As there are holders E at but three of the four corners of the file the index can be readily removed and replaced by a new one if desired. This enables a party to readily change the contents of the file and at the same time make the necessary changes in the index.

The holdersE for the index-sheet maybe of any suitable sort and material. I11 the drawings I have illustrated a very simple form consisting of a piece of leather having two of its edges firmlysecurcd to the sides of the case.

As shown in Fig. 2 the portions 0 of the thumb-pieces O extend upwardly along the front of the case and have their upper ends lying in a plane above the top thereof. This construction enables a party to more readily take hold of any desired thumb-piece and uncover the pocket to which access is desired than when the thumb-pieces lie in the same plane throughout their length as the sheet or web to which they are attached.

Any desired number of pockets may be formed in the ease, and my improved thumbpieces may be used in connection with other styles of files from that described and illustrated in this case.

The manner of using my improved file and the advantages possessed by the novel construction described will be readily understood and appreciated.

I The file is particularly applicable for use in drawers of a desk or cabinet, as it is not necessary to remove the same from the drawer when withdrawing or filin any paper. As soon as the drawer is opened the index is dis played, and by taking hold of the proper thumb-piece, whose upper end is above the body of the file, the flexible sheet or web attached thereto is raised and the desired compartment or pocket of the file uncovered.

What I claim is In a file case or holder, the combination with a case having its interior divided into a series of pockets by suitable division-sheets, of a series of thumb-pieces, each formed from a blank bent to provide two members 0 c, the member 0 having means for attachment to one of the division-sheets, said thumb-pieces being secured to the sheets out of line with each other and the member 0 of each piece extending vertically across the front edge or open side of all of the pockets above the divisionsheet to which its member cis attached, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC N. ADRIAN.

\Vitnesscs JOHN A. DAY, F. N. BLAKESLEE. 

